Daily news roundups

Union’s Blake in goal for Jamaica win, CB East rising, US draws, more news

Photo: Daniel Studio

Philadelphia Union

Andre Blake was in goal for Jamaica’s 1-0 road win over Haiti in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night.

At the Union website, Nina Cusmano writes about the bond that developed between Blake, John McCarthy, and Brian Sylvestre over the 2015 season.

Brotherly Game reviews Vincent Nogueira’s 2015 season.

Local

In the latest USA Today/NSCAA national rankings for high school boys soccer teams, CB East (24-0-0) moves up two spots to No. 8. Conestoga (21-1-1; Berwyn, Pa.) is at No. 17, Salesianum School (12-3-1; Wilmington, Del.) at No. 20, and Delbarton School (22-1-0; Morristown, N.J.) is at No. 25.

In the latest USA Today/NSCAA national rankings for high school girls soccer teams, CB East (23-0-1) moves up one spot to No. 15. Immaculate Heart Academy (17-4-0; Washington Township, N.J.) moves up two spots to No. 19.

MLS

At Yahoo Sports, Kristian Dyer reports, “Discussion of eliminating the expansion draft has taken place at the committee level within MLS, according to a highly placed league source.” The unnamed source says, “[The] league would probably expand [the] number of foreign slots and increase allocation money for expansion teams.” Dyer writes the possible change is due to “the talent pool from existing clubs is becoming diluted” as a result of continued expansion.

Álvaro Saborío has signed a contract extension with DC United.

US

Well, while they surely did not impress, but they didn’t lose.

The US played a scoreless draw on the road with Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night, with Gyasi Zardes and Jermaine Jones both hitting the crossbar.

Jurgen Klinsmann said, “As expected, it was a tricky game. There were chances on both sides, I think we had the better of them… We should have put one away.”

Michael Bradley said, “You know they are always going to be hard games. You know they are not always going to be pretty. We’ve been through it before. We know what it’s like. If you are able to take your chance, the result can look different. If you can’t, it’s vital you are defensively solid and, at worst, come away 0-0. In those ways, it was a professional performance.”

Tim Howard said, “Exactly how we figured it would go — tight game, point on the road, all is well.”

The US, which has the same record as T&T, remains at the top of their group on goal difference. Guatemala, who the US will play away and then at home in March, is next after defeating Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4-0 on the road.

Recaps and reports from PSP, US Soccer, CONCACAF, Washington Post, Soccer America, ESPN (recap, report, analysis), SI (report, analysis), Fox Sports, CBS Sports, ASN (recap, report), MLSsoccer.com (recap, analysis), Pro Soccer Talk, Goal.com (recap, report), Yahoo SportsUS Soccer Players, Stars and Stripes FC (recap, analysis), SBI, The GuardianOmniSport, and the AP.

Player ratings at Soccer AmericaASNMLSsoccer.com, Pro Soccer Talk, and Goal.com.

At ASN, Brian Sciaretta says the US U-23 team needs a retool.

Vancouver Whitecaps winger Kekuta Manneh, who was born in Gambia but moved to the US in 2010, says he’s close to obtaining US citizenship. “I’m about 10 months away from getting it. It’s scheduled to come out on Sept. 8, so I’m really excited. Since I’ve been here, my agent has been in contact with [U.S. Soccer officials], so that it will build interest. For me, it’s an honor for [the U.S.] to be interested in me and my service. It would be a privilege to play for them.” Manneh lives at least three days a week in Point Roberts, Washington, a town 23 miles south of Vancouver, in order to fulfill the residency requirements for US citizenship.

The BBC reports, “Southampton are set to announce a major coaching initiative in North America that will bring the club’s methods and brand to up to 100,000 players a year.” The “soccer schools” plan will be launched at the NSCAA convention in Baltimore in January.

At MLSsoccer.com, a long-form piece on the ill-fated — and ill-conceived — Team America, which played in the original NASL for one season in Washington DC and was hoped to improve the US’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup by being a kind of surrogate USMNT. Additional quotes and a video accompany the piece.

Socks. There’s more to them than you’d think.

Elsewhere

The FIFA Appeals Committee has rejected the appeals by Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini against their provisional 90-day bans. Blatter and Platini can now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. More on the story at The Guardian and PA Sport.

The AP reports the president of Chile’s soccer federation has traveled to the US. He says it is for a vacation but it is speculated he is here to cooperate with the investigation into FIFA corruption. The report also notes law enforcement officials in Colombia have requested information from the US to assist an investigation into financial transactions involving the head of the Colombia soccer federation.

A moving display of solidarity preceded the England-France friendly at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday with the 71,000 in attendance singing the French national anthem before kickoff.

Firsthand accounts of the night at Wembley at ESPNFox Sports, and Pro Soccer Talk.

Tuesday’s Germany-Holland friendly in Hanover was cancelled after the discovery of a suspicious object inside HDI-Arena. Hanover chief of police Volker Kluwe said, “We have received concrete information that someone was planning to set off explosives inside the stadium.” The AP reports Bundesliga matches will go ahead this weekend as planned.

ESPN reports, “There will be no visiting supporters at French football grounds this weekend because not enough security forces will be available to guarantee their safety.”

The AFP reports, “Syria’s football coach courted controversy on Tuesday when he questioned the moment’s silence for victims of the Paris attacks held before his team’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Singapore.” Head coach Fajr Ibrahim, who wore a t-shirt with a picture of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in the pre-game press conference, said,

We stand now 30 seconds for French, but all Syrian people killed, no one stand one second, you have to know this…We fight all terrorists. We fight all terrorist groups, Syria fight all terrorist groups…we kill all terrorists around the world…This game, this win, is meant for my Syrian people to make our people in my country, Syria, happy, that’s very important. Also this is for our president Bashar al-Assad.

Reuters reports, “Turkish fans booed during the minute’s silence for the victims of the Paris attacks before their national team drew 0-0 with Greece in a friendly international on Tuesday.”

The AP reports, “French sports minister Patrick Kanner praised security officials at the Stade de France for keeping their nerves when faced with the attacks that hit Paris last week, saying Tuesday that a major tragedy had been avoided…Kanner, who attended the friendly game between France and Germany on Friday, said the decision to keep spectators inside and let the match continue after the blasts was decisive ‘because a Heysel-type panic could have occurred.'”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic after scoring two goals for Sweden in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Denmark in the second leg of their Euro 2016 qualification playoff series, which was enough to qualify: “It was nice to win here in Denmark. They said they were going to send me to retirement. I sent their whole nation into retirement.” Priceless.

6 Comments

  1. “Discussion of eliminating the expansion draft has taken place at the committee level within MLS, according to a highly placed league source.” The unnamed source says, “[The] league would probably expand [the] number of foreign slots and increase allocation money for expansion teams.” Dyer writes the possible change is due to “the talent pool from existing clubs is becoming diluted” as a result of continued expansion.
    .
    Ya think?

  2. I think I like the idea of Southhampton schools. Not sure. I think I like the idea of FCB Escola. Not sure. I am fairly certain there are more than one Dinamo Zagreb camps stateside. Think this is good. Not sure. I’ve heard mixed reviews on these types of camps.
    .
    I think I would like 3four3 to continue expanding it’s magnitude scope and reach. They are offering players camps on the west coast. This is a good thing. They are offering coaching conventions as well. This is certainly a good thing as they are pure football. Ain’t no daycare day…. like so so so many of our summer soccer camps are.

  3. btw Michael Bradley was quite bad last night. “You know they are not always going to be pretty.”
    .
    No kidding Michael…. there was nothing reminiscent of the beautiful game from you last night sir, I do say… well said by you. +1.
    .
    For the record… in a different interview…. Tim Howard also said,”Point on the road. All’s well, I think.”
    .
    Perfect end of the year game from my POV.

  4. The US now needs to focus on the home and home series against Guatemala in March. If they can get 6 points there, then they clinch moving on (unless St. Vincent’s gets at least 4 points off Trinidad which doesn’t seem likely). That would give the team a chance to experiment in the games next September.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*